Steve,
I contacted Corbis and asked them if Hale-Bopp was superimposed. Their answer was YES! They used the term "composite photography." The photo was composed February 19, 1999.
Please note that Hale-Bopp is shown when it was near or at perihilion--it's closest approach to the sun when Hale-Bopp was at its maximum brilliance. This occurred late March-early April 1997. Please note that 1997 was basically a normal snow year on Whitney, which means the Whitney area would have been pretty much buried in snow. But the image of Whitney shows more of a June-July pattern, with most of the snow gone. Well, Hale-Bopp itself pretty much disappeared from our hemisphere by the end of April 1997. Also, Hale-Bopp was superimposed SOUTH of Mt. Whitney, when in March-April 1997 Hale-Bopp was NORTH of Whitney.
I am really curious about quillansculpture's Hale-Bopp observation, since the Wild Wild West Marathon was in May that year. Did quillansculpture arrive in Lone Pine at the end of April?
